Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-10-13
BIRDS In THEIR NESTS.
BITS OF NATURE GROUPED IN THE
PARK MUSEUM.

How Collections of Native Birds We're
Obtained for Central Park-An Inter
esting Feature of the Groups - The
"Clapper' Rails.
In the exhibit of the Museum of Natural
History this summer are eighteen groups of
birds, which make their homes some portion:
of the year in the city or within fifty miles of
New York Some of them are to be found
iii Central park. Others were taken on the
hills or along the coast Of Long Island; most
of them from Wcstchestcr county, but several |
of the rarer groups are only to Ike found in |
III m1ISlicS aud deeper woods Of New Jersey, |
Tia most interesting feature of these groups |
i that they do not simply represent stuffed |
birds under glass case, but in each instance |
the bird Is preserved in 4 life like attitude, |
and is nest, So CT young birds, and the tree
CT mos, a,.id " ii il iiS home WIS made. arc
| repro u ed. ia r-.aii"ins them one has he
| fore him not p. IRE ! iIt {! rap of nature
| itself, In one Instance, II Of the field spar
| row, the birds have built their home on a bog
| in the long grass by the side Of running
stream. A part Of the bog was brought away
| bodily, and with it the imprint OF cows
| hoof close beside the nest, which the animal
| narrowly missed crushing when she came
| down to the stream to drink.
The work of securing the birds and prepar-
ing them was done by Jeanness Richardson,
| the naturalist, who has charge of the labora-
| tory of the museum. The foliage which looks
so real is reproduced from the natural speci-
mems by Mrs E. S. Mogridge, who was con-
| nected with the Kensington museum in Eng
land, but is now engaged by the museum
here Mr.. Richardson is an enthusiast in his
| work. He knows no keener enjoyment than
| in searching out the home of sonie rare species
10 add to his collection During the summer
his vacation will be taken up in a search for
ten more groups to add to the museum collec-
ton.
Hunting for specimens" Mr. Richardson
said, with a sparkle in his eve sis the rarest
sport | know of. Especially when the speci-
mems ara the smallest of all birds, and it is a
particular species of them that you want. At
first thought it would seem quite impossible
To trace the humming birds YOU see haShinc
about the honeySuckie home to their nests.
They buzz and flash like IA net.or, and they
are gone Then there are half dozen varie-
ties Of sparrows, which to the general OBJ
server all look alike, hut here are several
: varieties in the groups | have collected and
. when You look at them closely you will see
; that there is wide difference Of course
: you don't often get chance to approach SO
: near them when they are alive and in the
( fields. The habits of the several species are
lust as unlike as their appearance One
variety always makes its nest near the water
on the ground, and another always under
some overhansing bank or in the roots of an
:; | old tree.
DO YOU see this pair with the nest under
the bank: That is a Louisiana water thrush
Ii is rather rare bird in this section, but a
few of them get up here along the coast every
year In the winter they 60 down into tho
West Indies, Southern Mexico and Central
: America They are beautiful singers, but
are not often heard because their homes are
always deep in the woodland thickets, where
- they are not often mtruded on by human
" beings. | came on this male quiet by acci.
dent. and it was long hunt of nearly a weef
before / found the nest and secured both the
It birds l was looking for another kind Of
r bid the red breasted grosheak, that is q
! powerful singer up III the new PARKS of West
10 ches:er vi hen heard the male thrush sing
|
L. ognized what he was followed him somt
distance and then lost him for the day. TIT
- next day found him again and traced hin
down to-a little stream but | could get N
. further clew to him. For several davs
3 brought my lunch and sat down on the banl
4 and watched the Little fellow. | could hav
n shot hiIn any time. but that would have don
!. no good as wanted the nest He seemed +
| y. L
4 within arms reach and sing with all hi
4 might and then dart out of sight. How did
ce lin! Why. at last | examined the bank
= and right under the very spot where | ha
y ben eating my luncheon was the nest hiiie
q away The female was sitting on it with tn
Z four white eggs spotted with brown, as yo
Ill | see. 1t vas easy to take the birds theT
= | though felt it pity to do So | cut out
Z niece OF the bank and there it is, the genun
Is Wcstchcstcr soil that you there"
~, DO vou use a shotgun to secure the birds
YES. with the smallest kind of shot, haril
larger than mustard seel and a light chare
of powder. The small birds like the pheb
ne or the wrens would be torn to pieces /
hs larger shot When l cannot carry away Il
m surroundings of the nest photograph the
rnt and take notes for their reproduction in tt
,,, laDOfaIDf- 1t Is qultt easy to Set IHt Dtdil
of an apple tree or dogwood on which Mr.
Mogridre has made such lifelike blossom
The robins, too. were easy to get. Tho
cardinals found in Central park and got
permit to take them They are very shy
pair of them escaped in the park four OF fl
year; ago and they rem.Iin there summer al
winter There are about dozen pairs
them now. That little fellow is the ov.
bird. so called from its dome shaped ne
huiit on the ground, rooted over and with
entrance on one side. That little brow
fellow singing to h- mate is the POLITICAL
found him up near Harts,lale, Westchestt
and there was piece of The Tribune in
hest. He gets his name from his habit
picking up bits Of newspaper to weave in
nest. In the winter he goes down to the CT
as far as Guatemala. The largest birds
the group are the clapper rails, kind
snpe l found them in the course of hu
down on Long Island for the seaside sparro
You see how these rails make then nests
eel grass and reeds The nests are OIL
ay, found out in the dense salt marshes I
. birds have little Indian trails to the ne
=. through the tall grass, but it is difficult
MA find them. They lay as many as twel
, creamy buff eggs Their harsh cbltteri
,,s notes give them their name, and they live
the marshes summer and winter